At a time when people, including blood relatives, shudder to even go anywhere near a COVID-9 positive person, Anantapur Municipal Corporation employees have been doing a yeoman service by bidding a respectful adieu to the victims by performing last rites respecting the religious beliefs of their families.
The total number of fatalities in Anantapur district crossed 300-mark on Thursday, taking the tally to 305 with six new deaths recorded till 9 a.m. Of the total deaths, close to one-third have been from Anantapur city and it was no mean task for Municipal Health Officer Ramprasad and Environmental Engineer Surendra to get to the ground and coordinate with the family members, dedicated municipal employees for this purpose and the people at the burial grounds.
The problem begins from the hospital bed, where the patient dies, with none prepared to even shift the body to the mortuary or touch it there. There are touts operating all over the hospital and up to the burial ground at every step trying to fleece the family members.
“We have tried our best to give support to the family members by operating one dedicated Vanaprastha vehicle and taking care of the dead from the mortuary to the burial ground, not ruffling the sentiments of the near and dear ones, though in most cases even they shy away from coming anywhere near,” Municipal Commissioner P.V.V.S. Murthy told The Hindu.
Risky job
It is no mean job to handle between 4 and 11 bodies a day wearing full PPE kit dresses with the psychological fear of contracting the virus, on Thursday too the team laid to rest a couple of them. Mr. Murthy said the government gives ₹15,000 for the last rites, but “we hand over the entire amount to the family members as and when they approach.” To ensure fleecing is stopped, justifiable rates have been worked out at every step and its impelentation is being ensured.
Meanwhile, an LPG-based crematorium is getting ready to be operational by month-end or first week of September in the Sixth Road burial ground being put up by the Arya Vysya Association investing over ₹1 crore. This can handle one body every half-an-hour. The AMC also proposes to set up one on its own very soon for which government approval has been received.
